STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA
Governor's Office
Raleigh

Feb. 9th, 1918

The Eastern District Exemption Board,
Goldsboro, N.C.

Gentlemen:-

I feel it to be my duty to write you in regard to Mr. Homer Peele, Teller in the office of the State Treasurer. What I am going to say is entirely without the knowledge of Mr. Peele, and is not in his interest but is in the interest of the State government. You may recall that the Council of State passed a resolution that it would not ask for the exemption of men within draft age because they are in the employ of the State. This was a good resolution, but, like all other good rules, it is subject to some exceptions. Mr. Peele stands out as a necessary exception to this rule. It would be impossible for the State Treasurer to get a man to take his place, and you all know that the very life of the State depends upon the accuracy of the account in the office of the State Treasurer.

Even in the face of these facts I do not think I would write this letter except for the further fact that the government at Washington has repeatedly endeavored to get Mr. Peele to come to Washington and do high class accounting for it. He has had at least three opportunities to get into a bomb-proof by excepting jobs of this kind, but he declined these opportunities because the State Treasure and myself exerted our influence to keep him here. Again he had an opportunity to go to Fort Oglethorpe, and he wanted to do it, but again our influence was exerted to keep him in his present place.

For the above reasons I ask you, not in behalf of Mr. Peele, but in behalf of the State, to put Mr. Peele in Class 4.

Yours very truly,

(Signed) T. W. Bickett
Governor

B-T